Structural unit and cellular construction made therewith



y 1947- E. F. ENGSTROM 2,424,080

I STRUCTURAL UNIT AND CELLULAR CONSTRUCTION MADE THEREWITH Filed Feb. 12, 1945 I fizuemiar' Patented July 15, 1947 STRUCTURAL UNIT AND CELLULAR CON- STRUCTION MADE THEREWITH Ernst F. Engstrom, Chicago, 111.

Application February 12, 1945, Serial No. 577,418

This invention relates to improvements in multi-cellular constructions such as walls, partitions,

\, floors, and the like.

An important object of the present invention is to provide improvements in multi-cellular constructions wherein a novel arrangement of partition panels cooperate in mutual thrust transmitting relation.

Still another object is to provide a cellular construction composed of standardized structural Claims. (Cl. 189-34) Another object is to provide structural units 1 which are readily adapted for the construction of pre-formed cellular structures of various kinds such as buildings in which the units may comi'prise any or all of the walls, floors, partitions and roof; boats; tanks, barges; railroad cars; floor decks, etc.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmental perspective view of a multi-cellular construction embodying features of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmental perspective view of a modified form of the multi-cellular construction.

My invention is characterized by a high degree of versatility and adaptability for prefabricated or built in situ constructions of many types of which dwelling houses, factory buildings, warehouses, and other building structures afiord a large and important field, but in which boat hulls, tanks, barges, railroad cars, bridge or floor decks, etc., suggest numerous other fields of usefulness. A feature of the structural units of my invention resides in the, substantially coplanar interfitting .relationship of the outer-wall forming panels of the units. In addition, the mutually reenforcing and bracing cooperating of the units is productive of cellular constructions of unusual strength in re lation to theamount or weight of material used. For structures that require heating or cooling, the cell spaces of adjoining units can be connected to afiord passageways through which cooling or heating fluids may be conducted. Where insulation is the prime requisite, the cells can accommodate any preferred form of insulating material, and the large dead air spaces of the cells will themselves afford substantial insulation.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 show certain representative forms of multi-cellular constructions embodying mg characterizedby a unique partition panel construction wherein the panels are formed with comer offsets providing shoulders spaced from the corners against which mating corners of companion panels substantially abut cooperatively for transmitting thrust in the plane of the partition. This affords a strong and efficient construction.

The construction of Fig. 1 comprises an assembly of structural units which may be made from any preferred material such as sheet metal. Each of the structural units comprises three preferably equally dimensioned panels 20,2l and 22 connected in equi-distantly spaced oifset or stepped relation by preferably right-angular oi!- setting webs 23 and 24 integrally connecting the panel 20 to the panel 2| and the panel 2| to the panel 22, respectively. For mating of companion units in the cellular construction, the panel 24 isformed with a. rabbet groove 25 where it Joins the web 23, the panel 2| is formed with a rabbet groove 21 where it joins the web 24, and the panel 22 is formed with a rabbet groove 23 where it joins the web 24. It may be noted that no rabbet groove is formed at the corner where the panel 2| joins the web 23, because in this instance the corner is required to mate with the rabbet groove 21 of a companion structural unit It in the formation of the multi-cellular construction. When built up, the multi-cellular construction .comprises two parallel rows of cells 29 dividedby a partition formed by the intermediate panels 2|.

In the modified form of Fig. 2, a relatively simplified structural unit 34 is provided which is adapted for construction of multi-cellular structures. when combined with an interior or intermediate unit 35. Accordingly, the outer unit 34 comprises a relatively wide panel 31 having-an offsetting flange or web 38 along one edge to which it is integrally connected through the meone edge and an offsetting flange 43 extending right-angularly in the opposite direction along the opposite edge. The offsetting flanges 42 and 43 are preferably formed with right-angular footpanels or fla es 44 and 45, respectively, which, are adapted to rest flatwise against the innerfaces of the panels 31 of exterior units 34 of the respectively opposite sides of the multi-cellular assembly. To provide interfltting relationship with companion interior units 35, the panels 4| features of the present invention, each form be- 50 are preferably formed with shoulder rabbets 41 formed in any preferred lengths suitable for the intended purpose. The angular relationship of the panels and webs aflords ,a' definite rigidity for handling even though the material of the units may be relatively thin.

In each of the forms of Figs. 1 and 2 it will be observed that the [partition panel of the respective structural units is. at the juncture of one of the webs therewith where it is formed with a rabbet groove, provided with a shoulder spaced from said corner so that the corner at the juncture with the remaining web substantially abuts against the spaced shoulder within the rabbet groove of a companion unit, whereby in the assembly the partition panels lie substantially coplanar and mutually cooperate for transmitting thrust in the plane of the partition. Thereby the structural units not only cooperate to maintain their relative positions transversely of the assembly but also in the plane of the assembly, and but minimum reliance need be put upon fastening 'expedients, because the several structural units cooperate so efliciently in the assembly.

While the-invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, it have shown in the drawings, and have herein described in detail certain preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within thespirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, an assembly of structural I units each of which comprises a partition panel having webs extending in respective opposite directions from the opposite edges of the panel, said panel having the corner at the juncture of one of the webs therewith formed with a rabbet groove offset from the plane of the panel to form a shoulder spaced from said corner, and the corner at the juncture with the .ramaining web substantially abutting against said spaced shoulder within the ra-bbet groove of a companion unit, wherebyin the assembly the partition panels lie substantially coplanar and mutually. cooperate for transmitting thrust in the plane of the partition.

2. The combination of claim 1 characterized in that the partition panels are several times as long as they are wide and the webs disposed along the longitudinal edges of the panels are narrower than the width of the respective panels.

- groove ofiset from the plane of the panel to form a shoulder spaced from said corner, and the comer at the juncture with the remaining web substantially abutting against thespaced shoulder within the rabbet groove of a companion unit whereby in the assembly the partition panels lie substantially coplanar and mutually cooperate for transmitting thrust in the plane of the partition.

4. An assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein the outer panels have rabbet grooves oflset within their planes at the iunctures thereof with the respective webs and adapted to receive the free edges of the outer wall panels of the companion units to lie flush in the assembly.

5. In combination in acellular construction of the character described comprising two layers of cells, partition panel units each including a relatively broad body panel having integral spacer webs extending in respective opposite directions from the opposite edges thereof, relatively narrow integral foot flanges forming the outer marginal portions of said webs, one corner of each of the partition panels at the juncture thereof with the adjacent web being offset from the plane of the panel to form a shoulder spaced from the plane of the web, the corner at the juncture of the partition panel with the remaining web substantially abutting against said spaced shoulder within the corner offset of a companion tending reinforcing and spacer webs engaging. the partition panels at respective points inter-' mediate the partition panel webs.

7. The cellular construction as characterized in claim 6 in which the web flanges of the partition panels extending in opposite directions from each corner juncture are substantially aligned forthrust absorption transversely to the partition panels.

8. The cellular construction of claim '7 further characterized in that th web flanges of the outer wall panels engage the opposite sides of the respective partition panels in substantial alignment for common thrust absorption transversely to the partition panels.

9. The cellular construction of claim 8 further characterized in that the outer wall panels are in edgewise thrust engagement so that not only the partition panels but also the outer wall panels are in respective mutual thrust planes. 7

10. In combination in a multicellular construction of the character described, an assembly of structural units each of which is of identical structureand comprises a partition panel, a; reinforcing web extending from each of the opposite side edges of the paneland in respective opposite directions, and a wall panel extending from the outer edge of each of the webs and away from the partition panel, the wall panels and the partition panel being of substantially the same width, the partition panel having an offset rabbet-like at one corner at the juncture with the contiguous web and providing a shoulder spaced from the web juncture, while the remaining web juncture corner of the partition panel remains substantially square, the corner at the juncture of each of the wall panels with the respective webs also having a rabbet-like offset, the partition pan els and the wall panels of contiguous units being assembled together. with the square corner of each of the partition panels abutting against the spaced shoulder within the rabbet oflset of a companion unit and the outer wall panels having the tree edges thereof seated in the offsets in the wall panels ofthe'companio'n units, whereby in the assembly the partition panels lie substantially coplanar and mutually cooperate for transmitting thrust in the plane of the partition and the wall panels lle substantially flush with one another.

ERNST F. ENGS'IROM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are' of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Edwards, Jr. Jan. 2, 1912 Dawson et'al. Feb. 17, 1925 Howard Mar. 7, 1933 Moore Sept. 4, 1934 Clark Sept. 25, 1934 Nechln June 2, 1936 Sylvan Mar. 1, 1938 Greulich Oct. 24, 1939 Stevens Mar. 21, 1944 Emerson Dec. 26, 1944 

